Vietnamese drink among most unusual in the world

The exotic snake wine of Vietnam has been chosen by Australian website Pokies in their list of unusual drinks around the world.

Australian website Pokies says Vietnamese snake wine is exotic but dangerous. While the fermentation may cancel out the venom, unregulated manufacturing processes can make the actual alcohol in the snake wine a dangerous substance, although there hasn't been any report of snake wine poisoning.

Snakes are widely believed to possess medicinal qualities and the wine is often advertised to cure everything from farsightedness to hair loss, as well as to increase sexual performance.

In Vietnam, snake wine is widely believed by some individuals to improve health and virility.

Cobra snake wine sells in Vietnam. Photo by Shutterstock/bumhills

Vietnamese snake wine is famous for its bizarre way of making, with the main ingredients are venomous snakes and rice wine or grain alcohol.

The snakes, preferably venomous ones, are not usually preserved for their meat but to have their "essence" and snake venom dissolved in the liquor. The snake venom poses no threat to the drinker. It's considered an important curative and believed to reinvigorate a person. Due to its high alcohol percentage, snake wine is traditionally drunk in shot glasses.

There are also other versions of the wine, with scorpions and seahorses.